Double edge safety razor with ball bearing clamping means



Feb. 3, 1959 B. GAVRIN DOUBLE EDGE SAFETY RAZOR WITH BALL BEARING CLAMPING MEANS Filed June 20, 1 956 EWzn/f/AZ BERNARD GAVRIN extending depressions 32.

United States PatentO 2,871,561 DOUBLE EDGE SAFETY RAZOR WITH BALL BEARING CLAMPING MEANS Bernard Gavriu, Bayside, N. Y. Application June 20, 1956, Serial No. 592,546 3 'Claims. (Cl. 30-65) The invention relates to improvements in safety razors, and is more particularly directed to a razor constructed to receive a double-edged blade.

An object of the invention is to provide a safety razor with improved means for clamping a double-edged blade into position for use.

Another object of the invention -is to provide blade clamping means constructed to also function to guide and center a blade as it is inserted in the razor head.

A further object of the invention is to provide a safety razor for double-edged blades which is adapted for use with an injector type magazine blade holder so that a double-edged blade may be injected therein while simultaneously ejecting a used blade therefrom.

These, and other objects, advantages and improved results of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a safety razor made in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view, partly in cross-section, of the guard portion of the razor head;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the relation of the blade clamping means with respect to the guard;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 with a blade overlying the clamping means;

Figure 5 is a side elevation, partly in cross-section, of the razor including a blade in position for clamping, the blade being shown as it is being moved into clamped condition in broken lines;

Figure 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken approximately in the plane of line 6-6 of Figure l, with a blade shown in position;

Figure 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken approximately in the plane of line 7-7 of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a top plan view of a form of double-edged blade which may be used with the razor of my invention.

Referring to the drawing, the safety razor of my invention generally-comprises a head 10 and a handle 12 depending therefrom. The head is constructed to accept a thin, double-edged blade 14, as shown, for example, in Figure 8. The blade may have a single, central, longitudinally extending slot, or a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots 16, as shown. The blade has a pair of cutting edges 18 on opposite edges thereof.

The head comprises a guard 20 and a'cover plate 22 secured thereto in fixed, spaced relation to permit the insertion therebetween or removal therefrom of the blade.

The guard is formed with longitudinally extending raised portions or ribs 24 along each working edge terminating in laterally extending end walls 26. Spaced inwardly from the ribs, the guard is provided with a pair of longi tudinally extending, laterally spaced ribs 28 defining a central, longitudinally extending depression or groove 30.

The groove extends downwardly into the guard for a suflicient distance so that the end walls 26 define its length. 7

.Intermediate the outer ribs 24 and the ribs 28, the top planar surface of the guard is formed with longitudinally The guard is adapted to be juxtaposed to the underside of the blade.

The cover plate 22 comprises a central, longitudinally "extending portion 34 having at each end laterally extend:

ing oppositely disposed legs 36, 36'. The cover plate is in the form of a double-T ended piece with the main or longitudinally extending portion 34 having its longitudinal edges 38 recessed or spaced inwardly from the corresponding edges or ribs of the guard member. As best shown in Figure l, the cover plate is secured to the guard by the laterally extending legs, which are suitably connected to the underside of the guard member adjacent the lateral end walls, as by brazing or welding. The cover plate is thus fixedly secured to the guard and spaced therefrom in a vertical direction to allow a blade to be inserted from either end of the head intermediate the cover plate and the guard. The cover plate is adapted to be juxtaposed to the upper side of the blade.

In order to clamp a double-edged blade in shaving position, and to provide means for guiding and centering the blade as it is inserted from either end of the razor head, arcuately shaped blade clamping means, generally designated 40, is located in the medially arranged groove 30. ,The clamping means is constructed to apply pressure to the blade on the underside thereof to cause the blade to be pressed against the fixed cover plate. More specifically, the corners of the blade, designated 42, are pressed upwardly against the legs 36, 36. The arcuate contour and dimensions of the blade clamping means is so related to the dimensions of the slot or slots 16 of the blade that the clamping means, when moved to clamping position, partially enters or extends through the slot and bears against the portions of the blade adjacent the slot. Thus, the clamping means functions to both clamp and center the blade in the razor head. Additionally, when the clamping means is retracted for insertion of a blade, the areuate shape of the clamping means cooperates with the blade slots to guide the blade into proper, centralized position. v

In the preferred and illustrated embodiment of the invention, the blade clamping means 40 comprises a series of small ball bearings 44 arranged side by side in, and along the length of, the groove 30. The ball bearings are sufiicient in number to fill the groove, but are slightly spaced from each other to allow them to rotate. The ball bearings are disposed upon a blade clamping support means comprising a cylindrical rod 46 having a diameter slightly smaller than the Width of the groove and a length slightly less than the grooves length. The cylindrical rod may be mounted for movement to blade clamping and unclamping position in any suitable manner. Preferably the rod is eccentrically mounted on a pair of pins 48 pivotally mounted in the end walls 26. This manner of mounting the support furnishes limits of clamping and unclamping movement which may be imparted to the support, and in turn, to the blade clamping means.

To impart the desired motion to the blade clamping support means, the handle 12 is provided'with a bore 50 leading into the groove 30 substantially midway of the grooves length. A shaft 52 is disposed in the bore for engagement with the rod 46. The upper end of the shaft is provided with several teeth 54 cooperating with. toothed portions 56 formed in the rod midway of its length. In order to impart movement to the shaft toward blad'e clamping or unclamping position, the lower end of the shaft is threaded at 58, which is received in an internally threaded nut 66. The nut has a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the handle except for a boss 62 which is received in a counter-bore 64 at the lower end of the handle. The boss has a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the counter-bore to allow rotation of the nut. The outer periphery of the boss is provided with a circumferential groove 66, within which is received a pin 68 extending through the handle and into the counterbore 64. The nut is thus connected to the handle in a manner to allow rotation of the nut for movement of theshaft in a lengthwise direction.

The diameter of the ball bearings 44, the location of the rod 46, the limits of movement of the rod and the location of the fixed cover plate 22 are so dimensionally related that the ball bearings cannot escape from the groove or race in which they are disposed when the razor does not have a blade in the head. The laterally extending end walls 26 prevent escape of the ball hearings in a lengthwise direction. With the rod 46 in its lowermost position, as shown in Figure 5, the blade may be inserted from either end from an injector type magazine blade holder. The engagement of the blade with the ball bearings causes the ball bearings to rotate so that the movement of the blade into the razor is facilitated. The ball bearings provide a rolling track for the blade. When the full length of the blade is in the razor, turning the nut 60 will cause the shaft 52 to move upwardly and the rod 46 to be swung upwardly about its eccentric axis, provided by the pins 48, thereby causing the ball hearings to press against the lower side of the blade. The arcuate or spherical contour of the ball bearings and their dimensional relationship with the slot or slots in the blade is such that the ball bearings and the slots cooperate to center the blade, the upper segments of the ball bearings partially entering the slots, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. The corners 42 of the blade are pressed against the un derside of the fixed laterally extending leg portions 36, 36' of the cover plate, and the central bearing pressure applied to the underside of the blade causes the blade to flex slightly and place it in condition for use.

The razor construction herein disclosed is especially adapted for use in connection with an injector type magazine blade holder and permits the utilization of'doubleedged razor blades in this connection. The endwise injection of a blade at one end of the razor permits the ejection of a used blade through the other end by reason of the abutment of the blade ends. This operation may be carried out in a smooth motion and without marring the sharpened edges of the new blade in the process.

The guard and handle may be integrally and simply formed by die-casting, there being no under-cuts to complicate the design of the mold. No cross-coring is necessary. The cover plate is a simple shape, which may be readily stamped and formed. The assembly of the few parts is simply accomplished. The assembly is symmetrical.

It is believed that the advantages of the safety razor construction of my invention, permitting the use of a double-edged blade, will be apparent from the foregoing description. It will also be apparent that while the invention has been described in its preferred form, changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as sought to be defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A safety razor comprising a guard adapted to be juxtaposed to the underside of a double-edged blade having a plurality of central, longitudinally spaced slots, said guard having raised guard ribs along its longitudinal edges, a pair of laterally spaced rib portions defining a central, longitudinally extending groove and laterally extending end walls at each end of the groove, a cover plate adapted to be juxtaposed to the upper side of the blade, said cover plate overlying the guard and provided with a central portion having its longitudinal edges spaced inwardly from said guard ribs to expose the blades cutting edges, and a pair of laterally extending leg portions at each end thereof, said leg portions extending across the width of the guard and secured thereto adjacent said end walls so that the cover plate is secured to the guard in fixed, spaced relation, said leg portions providing bearing surfaces for engagement with. the blades corners, a rod disposed in said groove, connecting pins secured in said end walls and the ends of said rod for eccentrically i said cover plate mounting the rod for movement toward and away from said cover plate, said rod having a toothed segment midway of its length, a series of ball bearings arranged side by side in and along said groove and rotatably disposed on said rod, said ball bearings being dimensioned to extend partially into said blade slots and to engage the portions of the blade adjacent the slots to thereby center the blade on the guard, said. ball bearings providing a track for the blade as it is inserted. between the guard and the cover plate, a handle. depending from said guard, a bore provided in the handle leading into said groove midway of the grooves length, a shaft disposed in said bore having a toothed segment in meshing engagement with. said rod toothed segment so that movement of the shaft imparts blade clamping and unclamping movement thereto, whereby movement of the shaft to blade clamping position will cause said ball bearings to be pressed against the blade and clamp the corners thereof against said leg portions.

2. A. safety razor for use with a slotted blade of the double edged type having corner portions, comprising a guard for juxtaposition to. the underside of a blade, said guard having lateral end walls and a. central, longitudinally extending groove between the endwalls, a cover plate for juxtaposition to the upper side of, the blade, said cover plate overlying the, guard and secured thereto adjacent said end walls in fixed, spaced relation to allow the blade to be inserted therebetween, a recess formed in said cover plate intermediate its ends to ex: pose the blades cutting edges, the blades corners being engageable with the underside of the cover plate, blade clamping support means disposed in said groovev and mounted for movement toward and away from said cover plate, a series of ball bearings arranged side by side in l and along said groove and rotatably disposed on said blade clamping support means, said ball bearings extending partially into the blade slot and engaging the purtions of the blade adjacent, the slot to thereby center the blade on the guard, said ball bearings providing a track for the blade as it is inserted between the guard and the cover plate, a handle depending from said guard, a bore provided in the handle leading into said groove intermediate the grooves length, a shaftdisposed in said bore and in engagement with said blade clamping support means for imparting blade clamping and unclamping movement thereto, whereby movement of the. shaft, to blade clamping position will cause said ball bearings to be pressed against the blade and clamp the corners thereof against said cover plate.

3. A safety razor for use with a slotted blade of the double edged type having corner portions, comprising a guard for juxtaposition to the under side of a blade, said guard having lateral end walls and a central, longitu dinally extending groove between the end walls, a cover plate for juxtaposition to the upper side of the blade, overlying the guard and being provided with a central portion, having its longitudinal edges spaced inwardly from the corresponding edges of, the guard to expose the blades cutting edges, and laterally extending leg portions at each end thereof, said leg portions securing the cover plate to the guard adjacent, Said end walls in fixed, spaced relation to allow the, blade. to be inserted between the guard and the cover plate, said leg portions providing bearing surfaces for engagement with the blades corners, a rod disposed in said groove, connecting pins secured in said end walls and the ends of said rod for eccentrically mounting the rod for movement toward and away from said cover plate, said rod having a toothed segment midway of its length, a series of ball bearings arranged side. by side in and along said groove and rotatably disposed on said rod, said ball bearings extending into said blade slot to. engage the portions of the blade adjacent the slot to thereby center the blade on the guard, said ball bearings providing a track for the blade as it is inserted between the guard and the cover plate, a handle depending from said guard, a bore provided in the handle leading into said groove midway of the grooves length, a shaft disposed in said bore having a toothed segment in meshing engagement with said rod toothed segment so that movement of the shaft imparts blade clamping and unclamping movement thereto, whereby movement of the shaft to blade clamping position will cause said ball bearings to be pressed against the blade and clamp the corners thereof against said leg portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,092,367 Knapp Apr. 7, 1914 6 Salerni Mar. 17, 1925 Muros Apr. 3, 1934 Black Feb. 18, 1936 Martin Nov. 3, 1942 Auerbach Sept. 21, 1943 Estrada May 27, 1952 Bowen et a1. Oct. 6, 1953 Liberatore July 17, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS France Mar. 12, 1956 

